Hay-ricking device



(No Model.) i isheet s-i-sheet 1.; R. O. DAVIS.

HAY RIGKINGDBVIOE. 27 ,673, Patentedivla 1,1883." V

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

R. O. DAVIS.

HAY RIGKING DEVIGE.

No; 276,673. Patented May 1,1883.

fnv-eniov UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REES O. DAVIS, OF MILAN, MISSOURI.

HAY-RICKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,673, dated May 1, 1883.

Application filed September 22, 1882. (No modeh) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REES O. DAVIS, of Milan, Sullivan county, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Hay-Kicking Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact .description, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved device, the parts thereof being arranged as when the fork is upon the ground; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the device, the fork being down 5 Fig. 3, aside elevation, the fork being elevated; and Fig. 4, an elevation showing the lower end of the frame in front.

The same letters denote the same parts.

The present invention is an improvement more especially in that class of hay-rickin g devices wherein a counter-balance is employed in connection with the raising and lowering of the fork.

A represents a hay-ricking device in which the present improvement is embodied. Aside from its improved features, the rioker is of the usual form, having the customary base, B, fork G, and fork-arms D D.

The upright E, at the forward end, I of the base, is also of the usual description, saving that it preferably tapers from the bottom upward. It is provided with a cross-bar, e, for supporting the fork-arms when elevated. The fork-arms are preferably pivoted to the upright E, rather than to the base. This enables the position of the pivots d d of the fork-arms to be considerably above the ground-surface G, and, in consequence, the fork, when elevated, is correspondingly higher than it would be if pivoted to the base 13.

Toward the rear end, I), of the base B another upright is set up. This upright F is suitably braced at f f, and a brace or plate, H, extends from the upright F to the upright E. The upright F is placed as near to the fork (J as the working of the fork will permit, the ob- 5 ject of the upright being to provide as nearly as is practicable for obtaining, in starting the fork from the ground, a pull upon the fork in a direction at rightangles to the fork-arms, for, as hay-rickers have hitherto been constructed, the lifting-ropes have extended from the fork directly to the upright at the forward end of the base, and in consequence the strain in starting the fork is so nearly in line with the fork-arms as to cause the power to be applied to disadvantage. This difficulty is overcome in the present construction. The main lifting-rope I passes from the fork 0 almost directly upward and over a pulley, J, on the upright F, thence over a pulley, K, upon the upright E at the front of the machine, and thence to the drum or spindle L upon the shaft M, which turns in the bearing m. 'A policy, N, is attached to the shaft M, and a rope, O, is attached and wound upon the pulley N. By drawing the rope O the rope I is wound upon the spindleL, lifting the'fork from the position of Figs. 1 2 into the position of Fig. 3, and, owing to the pulley J being placed, as described, nearly over the fork, less power is re quired to lift it.

- P represents the rope to which the counterbalance is attached. This rope leads from the fork over a pulley, Q, arranged alongside the pulley J upon the upright F, and from the pulley Q the rope P passes over a sheave, 1B, in the plate H, and thence beneath the plate H to the upper end, h, of the plate, where itis fastened; or, in place of fastening the rope to the plate H, it might be attached to the upper end of the upright E. .The counter-balance S rides upon that part of the rope P which is beyond the sheave R, starting from the fork. By reason of the location of the pulley Q the counterbalance acts to advantage in lifting the fork. As the fork is lifted the counter-balance moves upon the rope P toward the forward end ofthe machine, and by reason of this position of the counter-balance the rope P, as the fork passes over the sheave R. is less liable to miss the sheave T, (a difficulty hitherto experienced in hay-rickers,) onto which sheave T the rope swings, and upon which the rope hears when the fork is in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the fork has reached its up position the counter-balance will have moved back upon the rope P toward the upright F, as seen.

The upright F is preferably confined, as shown, to the central part of the machinethat is, it might be as wide as the space between the fork arms will permit; but I prefer to narrow it to a single post or pair of posts midway between the fork-arms.

The lifting rope I is preferably connected at three points with the fork Othat is, two side ropes, I I, Fig.1,lead from the fork and connect with the main rope I, substantially as shown. These side ropes,I I, are so adjusted as to be taut and to effect the lifting in starting the fork from the ground.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a hay-rickeigof the base B, the upright E at the forward end and upright F at the rear, the side arms, I), pivoted to upright E, fork O at their rear ends, and the lifting-rope I, secured to said fork, arranged to pass over upright F, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the base B, the uprights E and F, the arms D, the fork G, the spindle L, and pulley N at the front end, lifting-rope I, and winding-rope O, substantially as described.

3. The combination of base B, uprights E and F, and the plate H, connecting them at upper ends, the sheavesR and T on said plate, the hoisting-rope I, rope P, counter-balance S, the fork O, and the arms D, substantially as described.

4. In a hay-ricker, the combination of the following elements, viz: a base pivoted or jointed, side arms and fork connected therewith, forward and rear uprights, and lifting and lowering mechanism for said fork, operating from over the top of the rear upright, all as set forth.

REES O. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

O. D. MooDY, L. T. HATFIELD. 

